Hi, I’m Ilumigarjuk Ayla Kreelak, I’m from Baker Lake, Nunavut and I’m a part of the Next program. It’s been two weeks and we’ve been on the go. Every. Single. Day. Whether it was settling down, figuring out our constantly changing schedules, or even getting to our classes and sessions on time (which we’re still getting the hang of).

And we’ll be starting our Personal Learning Projects pretty soon. If you’re not interested in reading the whole blog, everyone’s basically doing things to help them in post-secondary. I think Algonquin College was chosen mostly ‘cause they emphasize how much we can get from hands-on learning. When we’re not working our butts off, we make a lot of good bonds. It’s almost like a stress relief when we make fun of each other.

My Personal Learning Project is obviously art related, and I’ll be working on a couple of different areas I feel like I need to improve in. I don’t really draw buildings, facial expressions, or colour that much. So that’s I’ll be working towards. And it’s probably not gonna feel like much work because drawing is something I wouldn’t mind doing 8 hours a day. In fact, it was only recently that I realized that art is gonna be an important part of my life, ‘cause it’s been 5 years since I started drawing and I’ve never felt like I should stop.

There’s a couple “mini-projects” that I wanna do. Like finalizing the small comic I wrote before coming to Ottawa, and actually draw the things I’ve been requested to do so. Not to mention the ideas I had for making funny webcomics (like the ones you see on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or whatever sites you check). I do have an Instagram profile if you wanna check it out, and it’s @aylakreelakart.

Something I have to get used to in the Residence is doing laundry. Don’t get the wrong idea that I don’t do chores, but it’s really different when it comes to doing laundry here. They have a communal laundry room where we have to pay. Sometimes some random person will be a jerk and take your clothes out of the washer or dryer and you have to start all over again. For me, I’ve been prioritizing my downtime to recharge over the pile of musty, dirty clothes under my desk. Right now, I’m wearing my fancy pants, a tank top that’s been reused 3 times, and my favourite jacket so I wouldn’t annoy anyone with my b.o.

The last thing I’ll say is that there are great ups-and-downs when it comes to living on campus. I lost both my glasses and sandals, I dropped my iPod in an outhouse and a couple of other things. On the other hand, I’ve got new art supplies, I’ve made a lot of memories, and I went on a Ferris wheel! And a lot of great things like these happened because I said: “why not?” Hopefully, the Canadian phasers do too! This has been my blog, and wish you all a happy experience with NYA.